"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
Good morning, friends!
As missionaries, we are asked to answer a lot of questions: questions about life in France, questions about our kids' schooling, the things we miss from the States.
One time, my husband had a well-meaning friend ask how long it took to drive to France from the USA.
(Ahem.)
A question that is often asked to missionaries is, "What is your life verse?" I have a hard time answering that question, because quite frankly, I really don't have one.
Since I got saved as a young teenager, many verses have been a comfort to me over the years. Psalm 27:10 was an encouragement to me when I felt all alone as a young believer. Psalm 4:8 spoke to me as I struggled with night terrors as an older teen. As a young mother nursing my children in the middle of the night, Galatians 6:9 spoke to my heart to stay faithful even though I was sleep deprived.
(Funny story: One night after many nights of broken sleep, I found myself quoting, "for in due season we shall faint if we reap not.")
For many years now, the verse in Jeremiah quoted at the top of this blog has been a favorite. It hangs on my husband's office door:
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11
As I was preparing to write this blog today, this verse stood out in a new way to me, because I had forgotten the English words. For many years now I have been reading my daily devotions in French. Many of the verses that I learned in English as a young person have been replaced by their French equivalents.
This verse is one of those that comes to mind easier in French. Translated, it would be,
"For I know the plans that I have formed for you, says the Lord, plans of peace and not of trouble, to give you a future and a hope."
Several thoughts jump out of this verse:
1. God knows the plans He has prepared for me. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord," Psalm 37:23 reminds me. Nothing is hidden from His notice. He knows the direction He wants for my life.
2. The plans are ones of peace. God desires that I find His peace in my daily walk, and wants to lead me to His eventual rest.
3. His plans have a purpose! He wants me to have hope in the beautiful future that He has prepared for me.
How much of an encouragement these words must have been to Jeremiah, as the children of Israel had lost their very identity and their nation. These words were His promise that God had not forgotten His promises to His people.
How much of an encouragement these words are to me today. God knows me personally. He knows my past, and where He wants to lead me in the future. His promises are faithful!
Do you have a life verse? What words do you find especially encouraging from God's Word today? Feel free to leave a comment!
Have a great day as you live out God's purpose and plan today!
As I was preparing to write this blog today, this verse stood out in a new way to me, because I had forgotten the English words. For many years now I have been reading my daily devotions in French. Many of the verses that I learned in English as a young person have been replaced by their French equivalents.
This verse is one of those that comes to mind easier in French. Translated, it would be,
"For I know the plans that I have formed for you, says the Lord, plans of peace and not of trouble, to give you a future and a hope."
Several thoughts jump out of this verse:
1. God knows the plans He has prepared for me. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord," Psalm 37:23 reminds me. Nothing is hidden from His notice. He knows the direction He wants for my life.
2. The plans are ones of peace. God desires that I find His peace in my daily walk, and wants to lead me to His eventual rest.
3. His plans have a purpose! He wants me to have hope in the beautiful future that He has prepared for me.
How much of an encouragement these words must have been to Jeremiah, as the children of Israel had lost their very identity and their nation. These words were His promise that God had not forgotten His promises to His people.
How much of an encouragement these words are to me today. God knows me personally. He knows my past, and where He wants to lead me in the future. His promises are faithful!
Do you have a life verse? What words do you find especially encouraging from God's Word today? Feel free to leave a comment!
Have a great day as you live out God's purpose and plan today!
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